Franklin had been a firefighter with Isle of Hope Fire Department since November 2011 and had also worked at Thunderbolt Fire Department, Wilson said.

Franklin went outside the business after hearing a gunshot just after 2 a.m., said Savannah-Chatham police spokesman Julian Miller.

Miller said Franklin saw the man who fired the shot was attempting to rob some patrons outside the lounge. Miller said as Franklin was returning to the business, the gunman fired again, hitting Franklin, and then ran off.

Franklin died in surgery after being taken to Memorial University Medical Center, Miller said.

Violent Crimes detectives, Southside Precinct officers and K-9 officers worked the scene and searched the area for the suspect.

No further information about the suspect was available early Monday afternoon.

Wilson described Franklin as a dependable and charismatic firefighter.

“He was always happy – upbeat, always on time to work, reported in every day like he was supposed to,” Wilson said. “Just a fun guy to be around.”

He said the news came as a surprise to the volunteers at Isle of Hope Fire Department – not just because a friend was murdered, he said, but because Sandfly is normally “a pretty safe community.”

Wilson said the Isle of Hope Fire Department will be in contact with Franklin’s family to arrange a full honor burial service.

“We’re trying to arrange a full honor burial service, which is typically done for line-of-duty deaths, but this is such a tragedy that occurred unexpectedly that we just want to show our gratitude for what he did,” Wilson said.

He said other Coastal Empire fire departments have been notified of Franklin’s death, and that he hopes to get the state honor guard for fallen firefighters for a burial service.

“The brotherhood for the firefighter service is pretty tight,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re volunteered or paid in times like these.”

Wilson said Franklin was well known in the Isle of Hope community.

“He dedicated a lot of time – countless hours, most of which are not paid for. That says a lot about a person’s character,” Wilson said. “He will be greatly missed. This has no doubt affected hundreds of people within our area.”

Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). In the body type, include "cstop2020" plus the tip. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.